Broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent for PBS NewsHour, addressed a sold-out crowd at WTCI-TV's inaugural Be More Awards on Wednesday, March 3 at The Chattanoogan. Celebrating the spirit of goodwill throughout the community, the Be More Awards recognize the impact and unsung heroes of area nonprofit organizations and volunteer leaders. Winners in six categories were honored at the luncheon, each category representing a different aspect of success at making a positive difference in our community.

"The Chattanooga region WTCI serves has an extraordinary nonprofit and volunteer community," said Paul Grove, WTCI President and CEO. "I hope those who attended the awards program walked away inspired by the amazing work of our winners, finalists and all of the nonprofits that are so vital to our city and region."

Be More Awards winners included the Children's Advocacy Center of Hamilton County (Be More Collaborative - Partnership Award); Ballet Tennessee (Be More Enriched - Educational Outreach Award); Orange Grove Center, Inc. (Be More Creative - Innovation Award); Blood Assurance (Be More Impactful - Local Service Award and Be More Engaging - People's Choice Award); and Jack Fish (Be More Courageous-Individual Leadership Award).

To bring further recognition to our nonprofit community, WTCI will produce a program featuring the award winners, which will air on WTCI in early summer.

"The Be More Awards is WTCI's way of saying 'thank you' to all of the organizations and individuals who are making an impact in our community every day," said Grove. "WTCI was incredibly fortunate to have Judy Woodruff as the keynote speaker for our inaugural awards program, as she makes just a few visits to PBS stations each year."

With a broadcast career spanning more than three decades at CNN, NBC and PBS, Woodruff returned to the NewsHour  in 2007 as a senior correspondent and now regularly co-anchors the redesigned PBS NewsHour. She is the recent recipient of the Cine Lifetime Achievement award, a Duke Distinguished Alumni award, and the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award in Broadcast Journalism/Television, among others.

WTCI launched the Be More Awards™ in partnership with Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga, the United Way’s Center for Nonprofits, and a volunteer committee co-chaired by Patti Frierson and Mary Kilbride, WTCI board member. A panel of civic, business and community leaders judged the applications, including Danna Bailey, Kathy Bingham, Sheila Boyington, Paul Brock, Pete Cooper, Beverly Cosley, Tom Griscom, Ellen Hays, Andrae McGary, Linda Mosley and Greg Vital.

Local glass artist Christopher Mosey, owner of Ignis Glass Studio and Gallery, has created the award for each category.

Sponsors of the Be More Awards™ include: Diversified Companies, LLC, Baker Donelson, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, Chattem, EPB, First Tennessee, Sound Force, Suntrust, Chattanooga Magazine, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Contemporary Portraits, Fairway Outdoors, Patten & Patten, Inc., Vincent Printing, and Waterhouse Public Relations.

 

 

2010 WTCI Be More Award Winners

 

Partnership Award

Children’s Advocacy Center of Hamilton County

The Children's Advocacy Center of Hamilton County (CACHC) is dedicated to serving children who are victims of sexual and physical abuse through prevention, education, and intervention. It is a place where all children are loved, protected, nurtured, and educated. Serving more than 450 children in 2009, the CACHC partners with multiple organizations to provide forensic interviews, medical exams, counseling and placement services, ensuring a coordinated response and working to prevent re-victimization of the child. The CACHC also reaches more than 10,000 individuals through its Prevention Education Program each year.

 

Innovation Award

Orange Grove Center, Inc.

Orange Grove Center, Inc. provides comprehensive, collaborative and compassionate support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, across a lifespan. Programs include a residential facility, a fully-certified school, employment program, dental/medical clinic, equine-assisted therapies, music, dance, art, and stress/human resilience support for families. Orange Grove established the Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center to address the future medical problems of the marginalized population they serve. The Total Immersion Clerkship in Developmental Disabilities program invites a select number of medical and dental students from across the country to come to Orange Grove to see, firsthand, what it takes to support people with special needs and to create compassion for serving this population.

 

Local Service Award and

People's Choice Award

Blood Assurance

Although less than 10% of the eligible population donates blood, Blood Assurance has been on a mission since 1972 to meet the demands of our local hospitals by providing a safe and adequate supply of this life-saving gift to every area patient in need. Blood Assurance collects, tests, separates and distributes life-saving blood components to 56 area hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout 32 counties in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina. In March 2009, Blood Assurance hosted the largest-ever one day blood drive in Chattanooga through a multi-faceted approach, boosting the local blood supply and potentially impacting more than 2,000 patients.

 

Educational Outreach Award

Ballet Tennessee

Over the last twenty years, Ballet Tennessee has reached thousands of people of all ages, races, abilities and economic levels. In addition to performances and professional training, Ballet Tennessee provides outreach and education for those underserved by the arts community by providing free dance instruction, transportation, uniforms, performance experience, creative movement classes for children with disabilities and year-round scholarships to children who would otherwise not have the opportunity to dance. The Dance Alive/Dance Elite and Talent Identification programs provide scholarships, dance instruction for beginners through professional levels, performance opportunities in professionally-staged productions and interaction with guest artists.

 

Individual Leadership Award

Jack Fish

Jack Fish is a longtime mentor of Chattanooga's junior rowing club, supporting its mission to bring together individuals from all walks of life to share in the lifetime sport of rowing, regardless of age, socio-economic background or high school association. Hundreds have benefited from the club's work, and Jack has also been a leader in fostering opportunities for disabled individuals though the Adaptive Rowing Program by providing equipment and training to make rowing possible.

About Judy Woodruff

Broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff has covered politics and other news for more than three decades at CNN, NBC and PBS. After returning to the NewsHour in 2007 as a senior correspondent, she now regularly co-anchors the redesigned PBS NewsHour.  At PBS, she has served as chief Washington correspondent for The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour and anchor of PBS' award-winning weekly documentary series, Frontline with Judy Woodruff. For 12 years, Woodruff was anchor and senior correspondent for CNN, anchoring the weekday political program, Inside Politics. At NBC News, Woodruff served as White House correspondent and as NBC's Today Show chief Washington correspondent. She is the recent recipient of the Cine Lifetime Achievement award, a Duke Distinguished Alumni award, and the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award in Broadcast Journalism/Television, among others.

About WTCI-TV (PBS)

WTCI, PBS for the Tennessee Valley, has been helping the community “Be more connected” for nearly 40 years by encouraging our viewers to engage more deeply in the world around them. WTCI was recently named the 2010 Nonprofit of the Year by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, a testament to the dedication of our staff, board of directors, and volunteers. WTCI reaches over 312,000 households and serves a total population of over 850,000 in a four-state, 35-county viewing area. Through quality programming and educational outreach services, WTCI can help you “Be More!”.

Be More Awards™ Finalists by Category
(Listed alphabetically)

Partnership Award
Children’s Advocacy Center of Hamilton County
Children’s Home/Chambliss Shelter
Medical Foundation of Chattanooga
Tennessee Aquarium, Creative Discovery Museum & Hunter Museum of American Art

Innovation Award
Girls Preparatory School HARVEST Program
Jewish Community Federation of Greater Chattanooga/First Church of the Nazarene
Orange Grove Center, Inc.
Partnership for Families, Children and Adults

Local Service Award
Blood Assurance
Hospice of Chattanooga
Siskin Children’s Institute – T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital Center for Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics
Wally’s Friends

Educational Outreach Award
Ballet Tennessee
Chattanooga Symphony and Opera
Crabtree Farms
One Clip at a Time

Individual Leadership Award
Jack Fish
Carrie Kennedy
Janet Kramer-Mai
Rose M. Martin

People’s Choice Award
Ballet Tennessee
Blood Assurance
Girls Inc. of Chattanooga IMPACT
Girls Preparatory School HARVEST Program
Habitat for Humanity
Hospice of Chattanooga
La Paz de Dios
Orange Grove Center, Inc.
Partnership for Families, Children and Adults
Siskin Children’s Institute – T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital Center for Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics
Wally’s Friends